06 May 2013

Political activist, scholar, and author Angela Y. Davis made history when she "became the third woman to be place on the F.B.I.'s list of the 10 most- wanted fugitives," the New York Timesreported in 1970.

Last week's addition of former Black Panther Assata Shakur to that same "Most Wanted Terrorist List" exemplifies the "longstanding 'racialization' of terrorism" in the United States and an attempt to discourage young Black and Latino activists, Davis told Democracy Now!

"The FBI has decided to focus particularly on Black women. They fear that the movement will continue to grow particularly with the leadership and involvement of Black women. I was rendered an ideological target in the same vein that Assata Shakur was called 'The Mother Hen' of the Black Liberation Army."

"Before the Tsarnev brothers were discovered to be the alleged
perpetrators [of the Boston Marathon bombings], there was an attempt to
present the person who planted the bomb as either a black man or a dark
skinned man with a hoodie. This racialization of what is represented as
terrorism is an attempt to bring the old-style racism into the
conversation with modes of repression in the 21st century."

Davis was accused of murder after allegedly purchasing the firearms used in the infamous August 1970 hostage abduction attempt by the "Soledad Brothers" in northern California. The judge, one of the jurors, the prosecutor and the three Black men were killed in the shootout. Davis was later exonerated by an all-white jury.

23 April 2012

A Marine is in police custody, charged with second-degree murder and accused of fatally stabbing a fellow Marine. The early Saturday fight at Marine Barracks Washington reportedly began when the suspect used a gay slur to refer to the victim, Washington D.C. police tell the AP.

Police said the suspect, Michael Joseph Poth, lives at the barracks. Poth, 20, allegedly used a pocketknife to stab Philip Bushong once in the chest. Bushong, 23, who was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., died at a hospital. Poth has been charged with second-degree murder.

Marine Capt. John Norton, a Marine Barracks Washington spokesman, said Bushong's death is "obviously a tragedy" and said the Marines are cooperating with local authorities. Police said they believe the two men did not know each other before the fight.

On Saturday night and Sunday, Bushong’s friends struggled to comprehend an act of violence that they said appeared to stem from something trivial and senseless. Authorities have said that one witness heard Poth use an anti-gay slur during the argument between the two men. Bushong’s friends said Bushong was not gay, nor was he homophobic. "You could have called him gay, and he wouldn’t have cared," said Nishith Pandya, 28. "He would have laughed."

Bushong's murder becomes the most recent in a series of high-profile violent incidents involving Marines and gay victims. In June 2010, two Marines were charged with battery after beating a gay man so viciously that he was left unconscious on the street. Both suspects claimed "unwanted" verbal advances.

In June 2009, 29-year-old Navy Seaman August Provost III, who was gay and out to family and some co-workers, was brutally murdered at the sentry station at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Provost was shot three times, had his hands and feet bound, his mouth gagged, and body burned. A fellow seaman was arrested the same night, charged one month later and committed suicide while in custody.

06 June 2011

Troops opposed to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" cannot opt out of their service because they disagree with gays and lesbians serving openly. Defense Secretary Robert Gates made the announcement during his farewell trip to Afghanistan, reports Reuters.

"Sir, we joined the Marine Corps because the Marine Corps has a set of standards and values that is better than that of the civilian sector. And we have gone and changed those values and repealed the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy," the sergeant told Gates during the question and answer session.

"We have not given the Marines a chance to decide whether they wish to continue serving under that. Is there going to be an option for those Marines that no longer wish to serve due to the fact their moral values have not changed?" he asked.

"No," Gates responded. "You'll have to complete your ... enlistment just like everybody else. The reality is that you don't all agree with each other on your politics, you don't agree with each other on your religion, you don't agree with each other on a lot of things," he added. "But you still serve together. And you work together. And you look out for each other. And that's all that matters."

The U.S. Army just launched a DADT repeal micro-site with FAQ, policy guidance, vignettes and implementation planning resources.

In related news: Open service advocates are urging Gates to certify "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal before his June 30 retirement.

"Waiting for certification after Gates retires, advocates said, could further delay repeal because Leon Panetta, the incoming defense secretary who currently serves as CIA director, may want to examine the issue further before signaling the military is ready for open service," reports Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade.

15 April 2011

There is an update to the tragic murder of Don Belton, the distinguished Black gay writer and beloved Indiana University professor who was brutally stabbed to death in December 2009. Michael J. Griffin, the 26-year-old former Marine who admitted to killing the English professor, has plead not guilty and claimed the slender, 53-year-old academic "sexually assaulted" him.

A Monroe County Circuit Court jury late Thursday found Michael Griffin guilty of murder, deciding that he intended to kill Don Belton when he stabbed him 22 times in December 2009. The verdict came after about 12 hours of deliberations. The 26-year-old faces 45 to 65 years in prison when sentenced.

Griffin testified Wednesday that he didn't remember stabbing the 53-year-old Belton. Jurors could have convicted him of the lesser voluntary manslaughter if they found the killing was committed in the heat of anger.

In 2010, it appeared that Griffin was building a "gay panic" defense. Bloomington Police told ABCNews.com that police 'really don't know' if the incident on Christmas Day was consensual or not.

Prior to arriving at IU Bloomington in 2008, Belton formerly taught at the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and lectured at the Sorbonne, among other places. Belton also wrote for Newsweek and The Advocate and edited Speak My Name, an critically-acclaimed anthology of essays on black masculinity.

As part of the administration's plans to end the ban, the Pentagon has carried out an elaborate survey of marines and other service members at military bases and online, but the results have yet to be released. "I've heard at the Marine bases and the Marine input for the online survey has been predominantly negative," Amos told the Senate Armed Services Committee. But Amos added he had heard about the results second-hand and had not seen the survey responses.

In written testimony to the committee, Amos also said he opposed changing the law, which he described as a "reasonable" compromise. He said he was worried that repealing the ban could be disruptive at a time when nearly 20,000 marines are engaged in major combat in Afghanistan. "I'm concerned that a change now will serve as a distraction to Marines who are tightly focused at this point on combat operations in Afghanistan," Amos wrote. Amos, however, said he was confident that if the law is repealed, the Marines would enforce the new rule without hesitation. "We obey orders," he said.

The promise to repeal the ban faces a seemingly imminent filibuster. Senate Democrats are apparently one or two votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and advance the legislation. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican to support repealing the law and "widely seen as the crucial 60th vote, announced Tuesday that she would not support advancing the bill because Democrats wouldn't allow the Republicans sufficient leeway to offer amendments."

Alicia Johnson, spokesperson for the Chatham County DA’s office,
which includes Savannah, said the two Marines will only face
misdemeanor charges for allegedly punching [Kieran] Daly. The decision was made
weeks ago, she added. The two Marines will appear before a judge in state court on Sept. 9. The judge is expected to hear the case and render a verdict, Johnson
said. The case has already been postponed twice.

After the alleged attack on June 12, LGBT activists in Savannah and
Atlanta called for the FBI to investigate the incident under the federal
hate crimes law. Johnson said after the FBI, the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police
Department and the DA’s office reviewed Daly's medical records and
conducted further investigation, they determined this case had “no
merit” to be considered a hate crime. "I can’t speak on the specifics because this is pending litigation,
but for a crime to be considered a felony [which a hate crime is
considered to be] there has to be proof of a sustained injury," Johnson
said. "It’s my understanding Daly suffered only a punch. Based on his
medical records we could not upgrade the charge from a misdemeanor to a
felony."

The vicious assault of two combat-trained Marines against one civilian—described as "only a punch" by prosecutors—lead to Kieran Daly suffering bruising to the brain and two
seizures. Daly remained hospitalized for a week and denied
coming onto the soldiers. "I was just standing here eating my pizza," said Daly. "The only thing I
said to him, it was in a really relaxed tone was, 'No. I'm not winking
at you.'"

Georgia is only one of five states without a hate crimes law, which is why the Federal Bureau of Investigation was asked to determine if the Marines could be charged under the new federal hate crime statute. If convicted of a misdemeanor, Cronauer and Stanzel could face less than a year in jail and a fine of no more than $1,200.

If these Iraq War vets were "threatened" by a gay man allegedly
"winking" at them over a slice of pizza, it's amazing they were able to patrol the streets of Baghdad.

16 June 2010

An update to the brutal weekend gay-bashing in Savannah allegedly at the hands of two Marines. Cpl. Keil Joseph Cronauer, 22, and Lance Cpl. Christopher Charles Stanzel, 23, claim the 26-year-old gay man made "unwanted verbal advances" and say they felt "threatened." The two have been restricted to MCAS Beaufort in nearby South Carolina during the investigation.

"The two Marines arrested and charged in the beating over the weekend face misdemeanor charges. 'I’m very concerned this happened in the first place. But these misdemeanor charges are outrageous,' [Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff] Graham added. 'And then to turn [the Marines] over to the military police is a miscarriage of justice.' A vigil for the victim, 26-year-old Kieran Daly, is being planned for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Johnson Square in Savannah, said Kevin Clark, board member for Georgia Equality in Savannah."

Georgia is only one of five states without a hate crimes law. The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Atlanta is exploring the possibility of charging the Marines under the new federal hate crime statute, reports the Marine Corps Times.

"FBI spokesman Steve Emmett in Atlanta said Monday the agency and federal prosecutors were looking into whether the weekend attack on 26-year-old Kieran Daly meets requirements for hate crime charges by the Justice Department. He declined to comment further. ... A spokesman for Marine Air Corps Station Beaufort said the two Marines have received death threats online from people angered by the case. He urged people not to jump to conclusions. 'There are two sides to every story and right now the only side getting told is the alleged victim’s,' said Gunnery Sgt. Chad McMeen. 'People have looked them up on Facebook and they’re now giving them death threats, for what may have been a simple bar fight.'"

The "simple fight" of two Marines against one civilian lead to Kieran Daly suffering bruising to the brain and two seizures immediately after the attack. Daly remains hospitalized and denies coming onto the soldiers. "I was just standing here eating my pizza," said Daly. "The only thing I said to him, it was in a really relaxed tone was, 'No. I'm not winking at you.'"

From a preliminary internal investigation the Marines in question stated they were subject to unwanted verbal advances, that they were closely followed, and that a threat was communicated by a member of the other party. Col David Robinson, Commanding Officer, MAG-31 stated. "Although this certainly does not justify the actions of the Marine who punched the individual, it is important for us to consider both sides of the story."

"The United States Marine Corps does not tolerate discrimination or violence of any kind between military members and the citizens we defend," said Col. David Robinson, commanding officer, MAG-31. "Military authorities and civilian agencies are cooperating. As the investigations shed more light onto the situation, the appropriate actions will be taken regarding the uniformed service members involvement and if it is determined that civil or criminal laws were broken, the individuals will be held fully accountable."

The Marines are identified as 22-year-old Keil Joseph Cronauer and 23-year-old Christopher Charles Stanzel. They were booked into Chatham County jail on misdemeanor battery charges, released to military police and currently restricted to MCAS Beaufort.

Twenty-six-year-old Kieran Daly suffered bruising to the brain and two seizures immediately after the attack. Daly remains hospitalized and denies coming onto the soldiers. The victim says he "only came out six months ago."

If these Iraq War vets were "threatened" by a gay man allegedly "winking" at them and making "verbal advances", I'd seriously hate to see them on patrol in Baghdad.

"[A police] officer rushed to the intersection and found 26-year-old Kieran Daly unconscious, with friends performing emergency first aid, a report stated. The officer caught up with the two men who were running, identified as 22-year-old Keil Joseph Cronauer and 23-year-old Christopher Charles Stanzel. Police records show both men are stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C. Cronauer and Stanzel told police they were being harassed by a gay man and wanted to get away from him. But witnesses painted a different picture, according to the report.

"They told police before the men were seen dashing away from Johnson Square, one of them grew angry because they thought Daly was winking at them and struck Daly in the back of the head with his fist, knocking him unconscious. Saturday night, from his bed at Memorial University Medical Center, Daly insisted he tried to convince the Marines he was not winking at them. 'The guy thought I was winking at him,' Daly said. 'I told him, 'I was squinting, man. ... I'm tired.' Daly said one of the men told him he demanded respect because he served in Iraq. And at least one hurled slurs at him as he tried to walk away. 'That's the last thing I remember is walking away,' Daly said."

Cronauer and Stanzel were booked into Chatham County jail on misdemeanor battery charges and later released to military police, report the Chronicle and the Savannah Morning News. The Savannah Police Department's LGBT liaison is investigating.

The victim suffered bruising to the brain and two seizures immediately after the attack. To add insult to the already serious injuries: Georgia does not have a hate crimes statute and the victim says he "only came out six months ago". Probably not the coming out party that he expected.

UPDATE:Cronauer and Stanzel apparently have computer privileges while in Marine "custody". Their Facebook pages are now locked.